A Tale of a DragonslayerGatti Nero
by Flameofdeath
Summary: Gatti fic...Romance in later chapters...R&R!!! Gatt's whole life, beginning with being accepted into Dragonslayers to his death.


Chapter one: Growing up too fast  
  
Cyana's note: Yes, I'm horrible.I promised a Dilly fic and I came out with Gatti (Gatti rules too though!) .Remember, no review, no updates.feedback is welcome.R & R!!!! ~~~~~~~  
  
"Momma," the little six year old boy called. Running up to his mother, who was tending the roses, he pointed somewhere in the sky. "Momma, what's that?"  
  
Hugging the boy, his mother looked up at the cloud of smoke in the sky. Narrowing her eyes, she merely said, "Get your big brother, Gatti," as her youngster ran inside the house, puzzled, she returned her gaze to the sky. 'Alseides..." she muttered.  
  
*****  
  
"Kimo.he's too young," she argued with his father. "I will NOT give my son up to those monsters! Gatti is ONLY six, he could go in apprenticeship when he's older-"  
  
"-And disgrace the Nero family name? Jinai, no Nero EVER let anything stop him from serving his term! EVER!," seeing his wife's helpless and ddesperate face, he softened, "Why Gatti, Jinai? You never felt this way when I sent Lidian."  
  
Jinai, whose head was bowed, lifted hr face, tearstricken. "You can never know," she said in a dangerously low voice, "What it's like for a mother who loses her child. No matter how many children she loses, the pain is still there." She gritted her together, trying not to cry, "The more children you lose.the harder the pain." Unable to battle the tears any longer, she sobbed, sinking to the florr. "Ever since Gatti was born, I always had a feeling that...that he wouldn't be around long enough until his release..." she continued to sob.  
  
Kimo stared at his wife with pity. Raving woman. She was jsut doing what women were good at--worrying. 'Just th baseless ramblings of a female,' he said to himself, 'Nothing more.'  
  
*****  
  
Gatti looked out the window of the carriage. He loved going out, and normally would be would be so excited, he'd be jumping out of his seat. But he had been told that he was going to be sent away, and to a boy of the age of six, the concept of joining the Zaibach army was too much to take in.  
  
"But why do I hafta go?" he had asked his father.  
  
"Traditions, Gatti...traditions," his father gave him a serious look. "Your grandfather went there, I went there, and your brother went there. We cannot disgrace our elders, can we Gatti?" The little boy shook his head, despite the fact that he didn't fully comprehend his father's words. "Remember that, Gatti," his father finished.  
  
"And remember this, Gatti," Lidian, his older brother added, "Momma loves you the best." Everyone broke into a smile as Gatti, while their mother smacked Lidian, playfully, on his head.  
  
*****  
  
"Gatti Nero," a voice called. Kimo stood up from his seat, beckoning his younger son to follow and his older to stay. They had arrived around an hour and a half ago and waited in the training room. Usually filled with soldiers, such as his older brother, today it would be filled with young boys who were going to train to become Dragonslayers. It was a new group Zaibach was planning to start, a group of elite soldiers. Kimo had been eager to see whether Gatti could qualify for the training. If not, he'd become a regular soldier instead.  
  
Folken Strategos, the strategist and scientist, walked forward. Gatti trembled as he saw the tear drop tattoo under his left eye, and how his body was tightly wrapped in a dark cloak. "Gatti Nero." Folken repeated. "Kimo Nero...you are..."  
  
"...Gatti's father," Kimo finished, proudly, "And aid-de-camp to the late General Stelthos. My father is retired and my son is still paying service." Kimo noticed, for the first time, there were other parents with children in the room. With satisfaction, he also noticed the impressed looks on their faces.  
  
"I have no memory of any person you spoke of," Folken replied, coldly. Flushing slightly, Kimo handed over his son, and excused himself back to his seat. Then, smiling slightly at Gatti, Folken asked kindly, "Are you ready?"  
  
Gatti looked down, embarressed, "I...I dunno what to do," he murmured. Folken chuckled.  
  
"Then I suppose we'll have to tell you...tell me, are you right or left- handed?" Gatti raised his right hand. "All right now, see that rack by the door? Take a practice sword from there..."  
  
Gatti did exactly as he was told. "Now what?"  
  
"Let's see how good you are."  
  
*  
  
Kimo looked through the mail, pausing in front of a letter addressed from Lord Folken himself. He called Lidian who was reading Gatti a storybook, "Call your mother. Tell her it came." Lidian, excited, ran in the house. Gatti went up to his father with a book in hand. "Put the stupid book away, Gatti. You're going to be a man--a Draonslayer. There's no time for storybooks now." Crestfallen, Gatti walked aroudn the house as his mother and Lidian came out.  
  
"Kimo...what does it say?" Jinai asked, nervously. The excited expression on Kimo's face was the only answer Jinai and Lidian needed.  
  
"Where's Gatti?" Lidian asked, noticing that his little brother was missing.  
  
"Do you see that, Jinai?" Kimo cried, excitedly. "Gatti's taking his first step to being a man--solitude." Throwing his head bacl, he laughed. Lidian raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Father's gone mad, hasn't he?" Junai just stared at her husband with fury.  
  
Gatti, in the meantime, didn't understand what all this 'solitude' stuff was about. He looked at his storybook, and thought of his training lesson with the creepy man. Sure, it was fun, but he liked to read better. He grinned to himself at how the whole family mistakenly thought he didn't know how to read. In reality, he did...he jsut liked the feeling of someone next to him, reading to him. Maybe he could finish the book to see how it ended. But as he opened the cover, he heard the echo of his father's words, "You're going to be a man--a Dragonslayer. There's no time for storybooks now." Startled, the youngster dropped the book and ran to his wailing mother.  
  
~~~~~  
  
End of Chapter 1. TBC. Review! Feedback is welcome. Ideas are welcome (since I haven't finished writing the fic).Romance will come.once he gets older, of course! Kimo's an idiot.and any flames will be used to roast Kimo (just watch and see what an idiot he becomes in the chapters ahead) 


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